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Tara VanDerveer Signs Five Year Contract Extension

STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford University has announced that women's basketball head coach Tara VanDerveer has signed a five-year contract extension that will keep her on The Farm through March 31, 2007. The new agreement will take effect after VanDerveer's current deal expires at the conclusion of the 2001-02 campaign.

'I am thrilled to extend my affiliation with Stanford University,' VanDerveer said. 'I am very excited about the things we have been able to accomplish, and look forward to the very bright future ahead.'

In her 22 years as a collegiate women's basketball coach, including the last 15 at Stanford, VanDerveer has established herself as one of the all-time great coaches in the history of the sport. She owns a career record of 516-153, including a 364-102 mark on The Farm. During her time at Stanford, she has won two NCAA Championships, made five Final Four appearances and captured nine Pacific-10 Conference titles. She also earned international acclaim as the head coach of the gold medal winning 1996 United States Olympic Women's Basketball Team.

'This is an exciting day for our program,' Stanford Athletic Director Ted Leland said. 'Tara has proven in her time here that she is one of the top collegiate women's basketball coaches of all time, and we're thrilled to have her on board for an additional five years.'

VanDerveer, who was named the third women's basketball coach in Stanford history on May 7, 1985, came to The Farm after spending two seasons as head coach at the University of Idaho (1978-80) and five years at Ohio State University (1980-85).

It did not take long for VanDerveer to make an impact at Stanford. Just three years after inheriting a 9-19 team, VanDerveer led Stanford to a 27-5 record and an NCAA round of 16 appearance in 1987-88.

In just her fifth season (1989-90), VanDerveer guided Stanford to the first NCAA Women's Basketball Championship in school history. Stanford went 32-1 overall that season, including a 17-1 record in the Pac-10 and an 88-81 victory over Auburn in the NCAA Championship Game.

VanDerveer guided Stanford to a second NCAA title in 1991-92. The Cardinal went 30-3 that season, and upset top-ranked Virginia 66-65 in the NCAA Semifinals before defeating Western Kentucky 78-62 in the championship game.

The Women's Sports Foundation Hall of Fame Inductee then made an impression at the international level by leading the U.S. to a dominant performance in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The U.S. went 8-0 in Olympic play, and finished its year long tour with a perfect 60-0 record. In six career international assignments, VanDerveer owns an impressive 88-8 record.

This season, VanDerveer returns nine letter-winners from a team that went 19-11 and captured the Pacific-10 Conference title. Stanford opens the 2001-02 season on Friday, November 17 against Indiana at 8:00 p.m. at Maples Pavilion.